Ravinia's Welz Kauffman charged with drunken driving

Ravinia President and CEO Welz Kauffman has an alcohol problem that was acknowledged after he was charged last week with drunken driving. But he'll stay on with the outdoor music festival, which just started its summer programming.

Mr. Kauffman was arrested June 7 at Roger Williams Avenue and Sheridan Road in Highland Park, about a half-mile from his Highland Park home and the famed outdoor concert venue, according to the Sun-Times, which first reported the arrest.

Officials from Ravinia declined to comment, instead referring to a statement from board Chairman Robert Krebs, who said, “For more than a decade the Ravinia Festival has flourished on and off stage under the leadership of Welz Kauffman, and we believe it is in our best interests for him to continue to lead the festival. Both Welz and we recognize that he has an illness, and the Ravinia family will support him as he works to overcome it.”

An accomplished pianist, Mr. Kauffman studied both music and political science at California's Occidental College. But he quickly committed to a career in classical music, taking on bigger and bigger jobs with music organizations that included the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Philharmonic before landing in Highland Park.

Mr. Kauffman did not return a message to talk. The Sun-Times says he was released on his own recognizance and is scheduled to appear in Lake County Court on June 29.